Sun Warnings: Sun Spots

The feeling of burning flesh is what I feel when I step into the sun. On the beach I am the crazy lady wearing a floppy hat, covered by a towel and sitting under a big umbrella probably with a margarita. Sun exposure is such a controversial subject in the beauty industry. On one hand yes we do need sun, however prolonged sun exposure is the leading cause of all sorts of issues. Having worked in the cosmetic industry I thought I would do a multi-part post and share with you some tips, tricks and sun facts that I have learnt though my travels and experiences.

Sun Spots

Hyper pigmentation products have been taking over the market in the past 5 years. Brands like Lancôme to natural brands like Luminaze all offer dark spot treatments and skincare routines to get rid of those pesky dark spots. Some use harsh chemicals that literally strip pigment from cells while others use natural whiteners from nature. Which one you choose is entirely up to you!

What is hyper pigmentation?

Without getting too sciencey hyper pigmentation is exactly what it sounds like, pigment that is darker than your skin. Sometimes these can be unavoidable like freckles, which are a genetic form of hyper pigmentation. Other times they might come from acne or scarring. The type I am going to talk about today is a sunspot! These suckers are avoidable and come from over exposure to sunlight.

So keep this in mind when trying to get rid of those spots:

Spots of summer’s Past

The spots you are seeing now could be summers past. They may have formed when you were 5 so the damage is done.

What does that mean for you now? Protect the skin you have.

The younger you start consistently using sun protection the less likely you are to develop sunspots later in life. The world of sun care has changed so you no longer have to slather oily Banana Boat on your skin every day. In fact there are a ton of moisturizers and foundations on the market that have high SPF’s but don’t feel thick and slimy.

I’m sure Banana Boat has changed their formulas but shout out to the ladies who know what I’m talking about. Coloured Zink and takers?

Remembers what?

These suckers are easy enough to remember because they keep on coming back. For some reason hyper pigmentation spots have memory. I don’t know why or how but they just have memory.

There are treatments that are able to ‘erase memory’; however I’m not sure if these really work. Erasing cellular memory seems high tech and quite abrasive for an at home department store treatment. What does work is being consistent with dark spot treatments and arming yourself with knowledge “they will come back”. While working in cosmetics I always recommend people keep up with the treatment of their choice even if it’s for one night a week.

Sunscreen

I am a sunscreen advocate and want to do a whole post highlighting different kinds. While in the cosmetic industry I was shocked about how many women bought the most expensive face creams and treatments but didn’t wear sunscreen on the regular.

You might as well throw it all out!

Many dark spot treatments and most anti-aging treatments make you sensitive to sunlight. So really it would be counterproductive to your skincare routine not to use sunscreen and quite frankly a waste of money. There are great sunscreens and every price point so if you want to avoid getting dark spots in the first place or want to get the full benefits of your skincare routine use one.